Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), historic reductions in the rates of uninsured individuals have been seen across every social, economic, and racial category. Prior to the start of Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace on November 1, individuals can begin “window shopping” for plans. Over 20 million Americans have gained coverage since enactment of the ACA in 2010. Latinos have been one of the groups that have benefited the most; according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 9.2 million Latinos (as of 2015) have gained health insurance coverage. “Thanks to financial assistance, most Marketplace consumers this year will find plan options with premiums between $50 and $100 per month,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell in a ...
About $10 million worth of free flu shots are coming to Walgreens thanks to a collaboration between the drug store and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The effort, now in its seventh year, offers free flu shot vouchers to improve flu immunization rates among uninsured Americans. Latinos have the highest uninsured rates. Eligible individuals can call 866-994-6757 to find the nearest location where flu shot vouchers may be available. “Since 2010, this partnership has helped us make substantial strides in addressing disparities in flu vaccination coverage by providing free flu shots for more than 1.4 million people,” said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, deputy assistant secretary for minority health and director of the HHS Office of Minority Health. “As the flu ...
Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Sylvia M. Burwell, announced over $260 million in funding awarded to 290 health centers in 45 states across the country. The funds will be used for renovation, construction, or expansion. “Health centers are cornerstones of the communities they serve,” said Secretary Burwell. “[These] awards will empower health centers to build more capacity and provide needed health care to hundreds of thousands of additional individuals and their families.” The goal is for health centers to utilize these funds to increase their patient capacity and provide additional comprehensive primary and preventive health services “to medically underserved populations.” The new and/or renovated centers are expected to ...
Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published here and written by Rafael López, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACF), and is republished with the courtesy of HHS ACF. For many people, January is a time to make resolutions and set goals for a healthier New Year. January 2016 is an especially important month. Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace ends on January 31, 2016. Since open enrollment began on November 1, over 8.6 million people have signed up for affordable health care coverage just this year and it is estimated that about 17.6 million uninsured people have gained health insurance since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Of them, over 4 million Latinos (ages 18-64) gained health insurance, and the uninsured ...
Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables
Fruits, especially whole fruits
Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, ...
About 26% of Hispanics and 24% of blacks live in "deep poverty," where people struggle to meet basic needs on very limited incomes, even with aid from government programs, according to a new report. The report, from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), defines deep poverty as below half the federal poverty level—i.e., less than $6,000 a year for an adult or $7,600 with a child. Findings include: A family in deep poverty spends $3,000-$6,000 more on necessities than its income.
People in poverty tend to be less healthy than those with higher incomes and therefore need more medical care.
But people in poverty are often unable to afford even nominal premiums and co-payments, and research shows that they may forgo necessary medical treatment as a result of ...
Calling all researchers focused on Latino health! You're invited to a professional development workshop June 28-30, 2015, that will help Latino health scholars strengthen their skills in analyzing and studying public health datasets to contribute to the understanding of Latino and other underserved populations. Abstracts for oral and poster presentations at the workshop are being accepted through April 19, 2015, from junior faculty, residents, graduate students, doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and other researchers. The workshop is sponsored and hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, ...
Latinos need strong health care coverage, as this population struggles with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. But 1 of 4 of the U.S. uninsured population is Latino. How can this change? Let’s use #SaludTues to Tweet strategies and resources on how to increase health care coverage among Latinos through the Affordable Care Act (#ACA) during a Tweetchat at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and Health Coverage: Issues + Solutions”
DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014
TIME: Noon-1 p.m. CT (1-2 p.m. ET)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (@HHSGov/@HHSLatino), Enroll America (@GetCoveredUS), and the Nation Council of La Raza ...
About 40% of Latinas have two or more risk factors for having a heart attack, according to a recent study. But fewer than half of Latinas recognize the typical heart attack symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms, according to the American Heart Association. So the Haga La Llamada, ¡No Pierda Tiempo! campaign, based on the HHS Office of Women’s Health’s successful "Make the Call, Don’t Miss a Beat” campaign, aims to educate, engage and empower Latinas and their families to learn the seven most common symptoms of a heart attack and encourage them to call 9-1-1 as soon as they experience one or more of the following heart attack symptoms: Chest pain, discomfort, pressure or squeezing
Shortness of ...
